Norman passes caddie to Scott

Page Tools

Adam Scott grew up idolising Greg Norman. Now, Norman has ceded his caddie to the emerging young Queenslander many tip to take his mantle as Australia's premier male golfer.

Scott, 23, will begin working with Tony Navarro at the Tournament Players' Championship of Europe in Germany in a fortnight. Norman, who plays only a few tournaments a year nowadays, will work with Navarro, his caddie of 12 years, for the final time at the Asian Open in Shanghai next week.

Navarro, who was at Norman's side for 23 of his 87 worldwide triumphs, including the 1993 British Open Championship, said he would not have contemplated the change without Norman's support.

Scott's father and business manager Phil confirmed the move yesterday.

Adam Scott, on a break after his disappointing performance at the United States Masters in Augusta, told Norman's website that he was grateful. ". . . I think this gesture is perhaps the greatest show of support he could extend," he said.

The young Australian parted with his Scottish caddie, Alastair McLean, after the Masters.

Norman said his limited playing schedule made the move fit. "Tony is one of my closest friends, and I think the best thing for his career . . . is to take this opportunity to work with a young superstar," he told his website shark.com.

AdvertisementAdvertisement

Navarro said: "This was a very difficult choice for me to make, and the fact that Greg actually encouraged me to go says a lot about him as a person and a lot about our friendship. For that, I will be eternally grateful."

Norman has kept an approving eye upon Scott, ranked world No.13, notably giving him a chipping lesson on his way to his biggest win, The Players Championship in Florida in March.

American teenage prodigy Michelle Wie has hired Mike "Fluff" Cowan, the former caddie of Tiger Woods, to handle her bags this week at the $2.8 million US LPGA tournament in Williamsburg, Virginia.